Dyspnea ICD-10-CM Codes

What ICD-10 Codes are Used for Dyspnea 

Dyspnea is when a patient has shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. There are different types depending on the cause or symptoms. Here’s a list of the most common ICD Codes for dyspnea:

R06.00: Dyspnea, unspecified

• Practitioners can use this code when the clinical information is unavailable or unknown. 
• Note that one can only use this code in addition to a code with a specific diagnosis. 

R06.01: Orthopnea

• Practitioners can use this code when a patient is having difficulties breathing while lying down due to fluid in the lungs, it’s called orthopnea. 
• Note that one can only use this code in addition to a code with a specific diagnosis. 

R06.02: Shortness of breath

• Practitioners can use this code if a patient can’t complete a sentence in a single breath or has difficulty breathing while exerting effort doing a simple activity. 
• Note that one can only use this code in addition to a code with a specific diagnosis. 

R06.03: Acute Respiratory Distress

• Practitioners can use this code if the patient has acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) wherein fluid builds in the patient's alveoli in the lungs, causing low blood oxygen. 
• Note that one can only use this code in addition to a code with a specific diagnosis. 

R06.09: Other forms of dyspnea

• Practitioners can use this code if the patient’s dyspnea doesn’t match the abovementioned codes. 
• Note that one can only use this code in addition to a code with a specific diagnosis. 

Which Dyspnea ICD codes are Billable: 

All of the dyspnea ICD codes mentioned above are billable. 

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Clinical Information

• Dyspnea is a feeling of shortness of breath or inability to breathe deeply. 
• The main symptom of dyspnea is labored breathing after strenuous exercise/activity for a few minutes or, if chronic, for an extended period. Aside from that, symptoms may be a feeling of shallow breathing, chest tightness, suffocation, or a noticeable change in breathing pattern after strenuous exercise. 
• Causes may differ depending on the type of dyspnea a patient has. Change in location, heart failure, low blood pressure, pneumonia, a collapsed lung, a blood clot in the lungs, a severe allergic reaction, carbon monoxide poisoning, high elevation, stress/anxiety, and extreme temperature are just some of the causes of short-term dyspnea. On the other hand, chronic dyspnea is caused by lung cancer, obesity, pleural effusion, heart disease, COPD, scarring of lung tissue, and asthma. 
• Diagnosis involves a practitioner conducting tests to check the patient’s airways and breathing via a physical evaluation, scans, blood tests, spirometry, and pulse oximetry. It’d be helpful if a practitioner had a copy of the patient’s medical history. 
• To treat dyspnea, one has to consider the cause. Some common ones are steroids, pain medication, bronchodilators, and rehabilitation. 

When to use a Dyspnea ICD code?Synonyms Include:

• Chronic dyspnea
• Difficulty breathing
• Nocturnal dyspnea
• Paroxysmal dyspnea
• Winded
• COVID-19
• Respiratory distress